When Rapture to her hall invites,

Or bids thee through her mazes.fly, The night-ftar guides my wand'ring feet, The chill gale bears my wafting figh. Each mournful night my footstep calls

To ruin'd fcenes and tott'ring aisles; Where, far from Rapture's revel halls, I think on thy deluding fmiles.

O Mary! when the bands of sleep

With fweet compulfion feal thine eyes, Think't thou the dream that crowns thy reft,

E'er to my couch of forrow flies?
The only blifs foul can know,
my
The only vifion that beguiles,
Is juft to fteal awhile from woe,

And dream of thy deluding fmiles.

When to the voice of Pride I turn,

And clothe my forrow in difdain; When darkness fhrouds my finking form, And filence lures me to complain : Alike in dreary scenes forlorn,

Or 'midft the world's betraying wiles, Fond mem'ry checks the rifing fcorn, And dwells on thy deluding fmiles.

P. M. JANUS.

SONNET, WRITTEN BY WILLIAM HAY. LEY, Esq. TO PRINCE HOARE, Esq. (In return for his interefting Correfpondence with foreign Academies.)

THANKS to the Friend of univerfal art, Who fhews me how a juft and generous mind,

By boundless fympathy and zeal refin'd,
May through the veins of emulation dart
Supplies of vital fire, fresh hopes impart,
And in fuch ties the focial nations bind,
That Commerce, with a finile divinely kind,
May bid new wonders into being start.

Thou liberal Patriot! lafting praise be thine,
Who, for the glory of thy native land,
Haft led her to achieve thy bright design,
To teach the heart of Genius to expand,
And cherith talents, wherefoe'er they fhine:
Science and honour guide and blefs thy hand!

March, 1804.

HORACE's ODES. BOOK IV. ODE 5. TO AUGUSTUS.

The youth whom adverfe winds detain
Beyond the rough Carpathian main,

Far from his native foil!
Fills a fond mother's breaft with fears:
To her the days have feem'd as years,

An age of grief and toil!

Lo! on the craggy fhore fhe ftands,
With tearful eyes and wringing hands,
And pours her piteous fighs!
Nor ever cafts a look behind;
Nor ceafe to throb within her mind

The mingled fears that rise.

So Rome, with faithful love impreft,
To feel herfelf fupremely bleft,
Her Cæfar's prefence waits:
She now the pomp triumphal leads,
And, as the voted victim bleeds,

She opens wide her gates.

The flocks fecure the meadows roam,
With plenty flows each harveft-home,

And virtue fways the breaft:
The freighted bark on tranquil feas
Sails in the bofom of the breeze;
Nor foes nor ftorms moleft.
Full in the new-born child we trace
Each feature of the father's face-
A virtuous mother's pride:
No bed by lawless luft is ftain'd;
For tainted honour ftands arraign'd,
Nor dares a wish to raise.

Who fears the Parthian's deadly bow?
Or Scythian, bred 'midst wilds of fnow?
Or rude Iberia's race?

For whilft the blifs of health is thine,
Not all her foes that drink the Rhine
Shall Rome's fair fame deface.
Beneath the mountain's funny fide,
When Phoebus feeks the western tide,
Her free-born fons retreat ;
Well-pleas'd to rear the tender vine;
Round fome kind tree its branches twine;
A task ferenely fweet!

Then, with a bofom free from care,
Straight to their chearful homes repair,
To quaff the genial bowl;
And, as the grape's foft power they prove,
With the immortal gods above,

Thy glorious name enroll!

To thee, their guardian Genius ftill,

Power!

Why thus delay the happy hour

To make a people bleft?

Propitious Ruler! shed the light
Of thy lov'd prefence on our fight,
And footh cur fears to reft.

For where thy face, like chearful spring,
Which gladnefs never fails to bring,

Is kindly feen to smile;
There, funs a brighter luftre fhed;
The day glides on, by pleafure led,
And joys each hour beguile.

To thee their voices raife;
And with their houfehold gods adored,
Thy mem'ry crowns the festive board,
In ftrains of hallowed praife!
Ah! quickly flee Hefperia's fhore;
Be martial difcord heard no more,

Throughout Romne's wide domain ! Such is the prayer that warms each breaft, Soon as the fun breaks through the east,

Or finks beneath the main.

Hawton Reory,

near Newark upon Trent, March 15, 1804.

W. HELPS.

A MAROON

SYLVIA'S TOMB.

foe;

The flock to leafy giens withdrawn; Afcending fhades ufurp the skies, And veil in fhad'wy mits the lawn. Ah! 'mid this deep funereal gloom,

My breaft what rending pangs invade! As, wrapt in fhades, I mark the tomb,

The tomb, where Sylvia's duft is laid. Oh nymph! in earth's cold arms enfhrin'd, For thee ftill frequent heaves the figh; For thee, in fofteft bloom confign'd

To fade, to languish, and to die. What, though these humble shades beneath, Thy name no trophy'd fhrine declares; Still duteous blooms the votive wreath,

That friendship's faithful hand prepares. Here, foe to fplendour's mirthful train,

Unfeen, the mufing minstrel ftrays, To breathe in fhades th' elegiac ftrain,

And dress thy lonely fod with bays. There oft, at ev'ning's folemn hour, Soft Pity wails thy hapless doom; And, fpite of time's lethean pow'r,

The tear ftill trembles o'er thy tomb.

SKETCH of the LIFE and CHARACTER

of the late DR. PRIESTLEY. The fubject of this Memoir has occupied too great a space in the literary hiftory of his country not to require an ample biographical record. This will probably be given in due time, by fome writer well qualified for the task, aided by authentic and original documents. Meanwhile, one who loved and revered him when living, and will ever honour his memory, begs leave to offer to the public the following brief and imperfect, but he hopes not inaccurate, nor partial, view of what he was and what he performed.

OSEPH PRIESTLEY, LL.D.F.R.S. and member of many foreign literary

Jo

focieties, was born on March 13, old ftyle, 1733, at Field-head, in the parish of Birftall, in the Weft-riding of Yorkshire. His father was engaged in the clothing manufacture, and both parents were perfons of refpectability among the Calviniftic Diffenters. Jofeph was from an early period, brought up in the houfe of Mr. Jofeph Keighley, who had married his aunt. A fondness for reading was one of the firft paffions he displayed; and it probably induced his friends to change their intentions of educating him for trade, and deftine him for a learned profeffion. He was fent to a fchool at Batley, the matter of which poffeffed no common fhare

3 A 2

of

of erudition. Beides the Latin and Greek languages, he was capable of giving in Atructions in the Hebrew; and his pupil carried with him the knowledge of all the three to the academy of Daventry; at which he was entered, in his 19th year, as a fudent of divinity. This academy was the fucceffor of that kept by Dr. Deddridge at Northampton, and was conducted by Dr. Ahworth, whole firit pupil Mr. Priestley is faid to have been. When about the age of twenty-two, he was chofen as an affiftant-minifter to the Independent congregation of Needham-market, in Suffolk. He had at this time begun to imbibe theological opinions different from thofe of the school in which he had been educated. He had likewife become a tudent and admirer of the metaphyfical philofophy of Hartley, of which, during life, he was the zealous advocate, and the acute elucidator.

Af er an abode of three years at Needham, he accepted an invitation to be paftor of a final fleck at Namptwich, in Chefhire. There he opened a day-fchool, in the conduct of which, he exhibited that turn for ingenious research, and that fpirit of improvement, which were to be h's diftinguishing char-ceritics. He enlarged the minds of his pupils by philofophical experiments, and he drew up an English Grammar upon an improved plan, which was his earlicft publication. His reputation as a man of uncommon talents and active enquiry foon extended itfelf among his profeffional brethren; and when, upon the death of the Rev. Dr. Taylor, the tutor in divinity at Warrington academy, Dr. Aikin was chosen to fupply his place, Mr. Prieftiey was invited to undertake the vacant department of belles-lettres. It was in 1761 that he removed to a fituation happily accommodated to his perfonal improvement, by the free fociety of men of large intellectual attainments, and to the difplay of his own Various powers of mind. He foon after made a matrimonial connection with Mary, daughter to Mr. Wilkinfon of BeifhamFoundery, near Wrexham; a lady of an excellent heart, and a strong understanding, and his faithful partner in all the viciflitudes of his life.

At Warrington properly commenced the literary career of this eminent perfon, and a variety of publications foon announced to the world the extent and originality of his purfuits. One of the first was a Chart of Biography, in which he ingeniously contrived to prefent an ocular image both of the proportional duration

of exifence, and of the chronological period and fynchronism of all the most eminent perfons of all ages and countries, in the great departments of feience, art, and public life. This was very favourably received, and fuggefled a second Chart of Hiftory, in like manner offering to the view the extent, time, and duration of ftates and empires. Subjects of hiftory and general politics at this time engaged much of hi attention. He delivered lectures upon them, of which the fubftance was given to the world in various useful publications. His notions of government were founded on thate principles of the original and indefeafible rights of man, which are the fole bafis of all political freedom. He was an ardent admirer of the British Conftituion, according to his conceptions of it, and ably illustrated it in his lectures.

With respect to his proper academical department of the belles lettres, he difplayed the enlargement of his views in a fet of Lectures on the Theory and History of Language, and on the Principles of Oratory and Criticism; in the ia ter of which, he fuccessfully applied the Hartleian theory of affociation, to objects of tate. Although his graver purfaits did not allow him to cultivare the agreeable parts of literature as a practitioner, he fufficiently thewed, by fome light and playful efforts, that he would have been capable of excelling in this walk, had he given his attention to it. But he was too intent upon things to expend his regards upen words, and he remained contented with a flyle of writing accommodated to the great business of inftruction, of which the characteristics were accuracy and perfpicuity.

Fully as his time might feem occupied by the academical and literary employments above enumerated, he found means, by perpetual activity and indefatigable induiry, to accomplish the firil great work in natural philosophy, which laid a folid foundation for his fame in that department of human knowledge. Having long amuied himielf with an ele&trical machine, and taken an intere in the progrefs of difcovery in that branch of phyfics, he was induced to undertake a Hiflory of Electricity, with an account of its prefent ftate. As the fcience was of late date, and all its facts and theories lay within a moderate compaís of reading, he thought it a tak not beyond his powers to effe&t completely what he prepoled, although his plan included an extenfive courfe of experiment of his own, to verify what had

been done by others, and to clear up remaining doubts and obfcurities. It appears from his preface, that, while engaged in this defign, he had enjoyed the advantage of perfonal intercourfe with fome eminent philofophers, among whom he acknowledges as coadjutors, Drs. Watfon and Franklin, and Mr. Caston. The work first appeared at Warrington, in 1767, 4to. and fo well was it received, that it underwent a fifth edition, in 4to. in 1794. It is indeed, an admirable model of scientific hiftory: full without fuperfluity; clear, methodical, candid and unaffected. Its original experiments are highly ingenious, and gave a foretaste of that fertility of contrivance and fagacity of obfervation which afterwards fo much diftinguished the author.

It may be proper in this place to speak of Dr. Prieftley's general character as an experimental philofopher. No perfon in this clafs can be met with who engaged in his enquiries with a more pure and fimple love of truth, detached from all private and felfish confiderations of fame or advantage. Hence he was folicitous only that difcoveries fhould be made, regardle's by whom they were made; and he was placed far beyond all that petty jealoufy and rivalry which has fo often led to the fuppreffion of hints from cafual obfervations, till the proprietor fhould have made the most of them for himself, On the contrary, he was impatient till all engaged in fimilar purfuits fhould be put upon the track which appeared to him moft likely to lead to fuccefsful investigation. Having no favourite theories to fupport, he admitted indifferently facts of all apparent tendencies; and felt not the least hefitation in renouncing an opinion hastily formed, for another, the refult of maturer examination. He regarded the whole field of knowledge as common ground, to be cultivated by the united labour of individuals for the general benefit. In thefe refpects he feems molt to have refembled the excellent Stephen Hales, whom Haller justly entitles "vir indefeffus, ad inveniendum verum natus."

His connection with the Warrington academy ceafed in 1768, when he accepted an invitation to officiate as pattor to a large and refpectable congregation of proteftant diffenters at Leeds. Confidering himfelf now as more elpecially devoted to theology, he fuffered that, which had always been his favourite object, to take the lead amid his intellectual purfuits, though not to the exclusion of others.

From infancy his mind had been strong

ly impreffed with devotional sentiments; and although he had widely deviated from the doctrinal opinions which he had first imbibed, yet all the pious ardour and religious zeal of the fect among whom he was educated remained undiminished. He likewife retained in full force the principles of a difssenter from the Establishment, and thofe ideas of congregational difcipline which had become obfolete among many of the richer and more relaxed of the feparatifts. Numerous publications relative to these points foon marked his new refidence. His Institutes of Natural and Revealed Religion" gave, in a popular and concise form, his fyftem of divinity with its evidences. His "View of the Principles and Conduct of the Proteftant Diffenters" exhibited his notions of the grounds of diffent and the proper character and policy of a religious fect; and a variety of controverfial and polemic writings prefented to the world his views of the Chriftian difpenfation.

As a divine, if poffible, ftill more than as a philofopher, truth was his fole aim, which he pursued with a more exalted ardour, in proportion to the greater importance of the fubject. Naturally fanguine, and embracing the conclufions of his reafon with a plenitude of conviction that excluded every particle of doubt, he inculcated his tenets with an earneftnets limited by nothing but a facred regard to the rights of private judgment in others as well as himfelt. The confiderations of human prudence were nothing in his eye, nor did he admit the policy of introducing novelties of opinion by flow degrees, and endeavouring to conciliate a favourable hearing, by foftening or fuppreffing what was most likely to fhock prejudiced minds. He boldly and plainly uttered what he conceived to be the truth and the whole truth, fecure, that by its own native ftrength it would in fine prevail, and thinking him. felf litle refponfible for any temporary evils that might be incurred during the interval. To adopt the beautiful and happy fimile of one of his late vindicators, "ne followed truth as a man who hawks,

follows his fport; at full speed, ftraight forwards, looking only upwards, and regardless into what difficulties the chace may lead him.”

As pure religion was the great end of Dr. Priestley's labours, fo perfect freedom of difcuffion was the means; and fince he was convinced that this could not be attained under the domination of powerful and jealous ettablishments, interested in maintaining the particular fyftem on

which